06/23/2025
Movement is one of the basic ways we interact with our environment. That's why it is so critical to find a means of moving that works for your body and personality.
Our kids are no different. Not every sport, extracurricular activity, or therapy program is a guaranteed fit for your kid. That means what you did as a child, or do now, for fun or exercise might not be what your child thrives while doing. However, we often default to what we know. It makes sense. Until it doesn't.
I've found that kids are often drawn to what their bodies need and crave.
I've never met a human where the following statement did not hold true: "Good Sensory Input Yields Good Motor Output." (Three cheers to Dr. Fergus who drilled this into our heads in 1st year Neuro)
If you want it to look good, it has to feel good.
That means your child might need a lot of input to regulate their system in order to create that meaningful movement. Or conversely, they might need less.
Are sensory strategies typically left for our OTs to manage? Commonly, yes.
Does that mean physical therapists don't have a responsibility to honor the sensory system and use what we know to develop appropriate movement strategies to maximize motor output? Absolutely not.
I'll never stop being humbled by the people who trust their children, first and foremost, and then trust me to find that just right challenge. Stepping out of your comfort zone and the "known" is hard enough. Parents "know" what to expect in a therapy office and when dealing with insurance. We "know" what traditional sports are for kids based on their ages and genders.
Cue Dr. B.
Wild card.
I'm here to break traditions and stereotypes. The ones that say boys should get their energy out on a football field, or girls all want to be ballerinas. The ones that say you have to concede to the whims of an insurance company who doesn't know your child. The ones where your kid is another name to be replaced by one on the endless wait-list when they've met a goal you never cared about in the first place.
That means when you text me and say, "I've got to do something about X, Y, and Z," we are going to talk. I'm going to ask a lot of questions, and I'm going to listen.
And then we are going to find that outlet for your child to thrive and use whatever movement strategies they have to the fullest potential. It doesn't always mean they will work with me, in some cases, I have a friend or colleague who is a better fit for the situation.
Regardless of the plan moving forward, whether they are taking their first steps or getting up on a stage for the first time and dancing their heart out, their milestones matter to me. Movement and meaningful interactions matter to me.
And above all else: your child matters to me.
It's time to take flight.
